To the Editor of the Nowe la DatLy News."
Su—tn reply to a letter that appeared" in your correspondence columns recently, your own cor esponulent would like tw say hie Ts quite correct. with regard. to the dates on and during which the O-bon Matsuri of Japa called. the Feast of the. Dea lantern "estival and All jay of Japan, Is celebrated.
In a fow remote country regions, ne in such country" regions who ome retuse to break with the past, the celebrations "do take place August, Dut in these places this beeaue the old Junae: eatendar authered to. © Most of Japan however, ofeially and otherwise ecepted the Gregorian calendar and in the greater part of the coun try the festival is celebrated on the dates of the seventh month as set orth in my article.
There is w similar confusion regard to. the celebration New Year too. Most of Jo celebrates the arrival of "anoth milestone in" the roadway of life AL the same tine a3 foreigners d Where the lunar calendar is eum to, "New Year is celebrated in what would be our February. In a few both dates are. celebrated, Tanuary 1 by the more progressive and a date in Febeuary by others.
The, most reliable writers on Japan Chamberlain, Sie. Bdwin 'Arnold, Hadland-Davis and Lateadio Hearn—to mention only x few, write that the O-Bon Festivals held from July 13 to July 15. Withe out daring" to obtrude on these great writers' statements, your correspondent asks leave to say that, on one oceusion at least, has partaken in the celebration the O-Bon Matsuri and knows ful that, aside from the anti-Christi: influences, having been accustomed to the order in mission schools, they cannot stand the disorder and lack of discipline there. As one man expressed it, only about one in three or four of the boys he was teaching was trying to study. Holidays had to be given on student demands. Trouble was constantly being fomented.
There is a very general acknow-well that it is held in July. TE it is celebrated in August in Shanghai "oniething that the writer very much doubts—then must. Shanghai Fapanese be adherents of the lunar vealendar, It would be interesting, though, if one of your reporters i ascertained why Shanghai Japanese observe thie festival in August, they do, Tam, ete, Your Own Cosszspoxvent.
Tokyo, July 30, 1928,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.